Thanksgiving...and the Caricature Artist 🍗

Not Your Usual Caricature Artist

Vol. 13, No. 11

A Monthly Compendium of Caricatures and Commentary About Them

This month we celebrate Thanksgiving, the history of which can be traced back to 1621 and the harvest feast shared by the pioneering Pilgrims with the Native American Wampanoags in Massachusetts. It officially was named a national holiday in 1863, to be observed in perpetuity by President Abraham Lincoln. And, as this holiday's name implies, it calls for a time to appreciate our bounties of freedom, opportunity and the love of family and friends.

Welcome to the Thanksgiving Edition of

Not Your Usual Caricature Artist

from Caricatures by Joel

I give thanks for the nature and scope of my profession -- drawing people in a whimsical light, eliciting a smile and, often, a big throaty laugh. Along the way, there are subsets engaging my services for which I am most appreciative. And thankful.

Let's look at samplings from these categories:

WEDDINGS, in addition to entertaining at the big event itself, might incorporate the creation of sign-in boards, like this one below, meant to simulate the look of caricatures of patrons on the walls of the famous Palm restaurant...and pre-event activities, such as at a bachelor or, in this case, bachelorette party.

Then there are CHILDREN'S milestones -- everything from birthdays to graduations to...bar mitzvahs, such as the sign-in board for this 13-year-old athlete, below.

Let's not forget CORPORATE events, like the pharmaceutical industry convention this staffer, below, attended coming away with a custom-created caricature. And, below her, these two colleagues who similarly enjoyed some out-of-office playtime at a company-sponsored dinner.

Good old fashioned BIRTHDAYS are always fun. But why should birthday girl Kimmie be the only one to receive gifts? At this party, all the guests got their own uniquely customized caricature. Elaina, below, received a memento from her outdoor party to last long after the last piece of birthday cake was devoured.

What about ANNIVERSARIES? Career milestones in the workplace can be a wonderful opportunity for companies to show their appreciation to their staffs by thanking and honoring individuals for the years they've contributed to the business's success. In the cases below: one an Ohio fan and Emmy Award winner for a side gig cooking show(!), the other a Notre Dame alum and KC Chiefs fan, each celebrated their tenth anniversary with GEM, Global Endowment Management, a company offering wealth management and financial planning services.

Every now and then, there's a request to do a CARTOON -- not a caricature of any particular individual, per se. The "Better Mouse Trap" individuals, below, were part of a business-to-business direct mail campaign for a company, believe it or not, in the oil refinery industry. Below it, a cartoon created for Institutional Investor magazine, an international publication serving the financial services and investment industries.

RETAIL EVENTS are another fun gig, helping businesses draw customers (literally) to their offerings. Such as the "Baby Shark" festival this brother, sister and Mom...and the Mom and daughter below it... enjoyed at a major area mall, which sponsored the event.

What better time to combine parties with gift giving? That's the HOLIDAYS season. Below, "Cami" dressed up as a scarecrow (or was it a Pilgrim...?) at a family Halloween soiree for country club members, and scored her own caricature keepsake.

That's it for this edition.

Check back with us

the first Tuesday of next month

for another serving

-- complete with all the fixin's --

of Not Your Usual Caricature Artist

from Caricatures by Joel.

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And in the meantime,

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.